


reds and blues remind me of you

by asyouturnaway



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Fluff, Gift Giving, M/M, Post-The Raven King
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 08:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10760481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asyouturnaway/pseuds/asyouturnaway
Summary: "Roses are my favourite flowers,” Adam said. He turned to Ronan. “Actually, they remind me a lot of you. They’re prickly if you’re not careful, but they’re also really pretty and soft.”Out loud, Ronan replied, “Parrish, that’s the fucking cheesiest thing you’ve ever said. Stop being so gross.”To himself, Ronan thought,I can’t believe this huge fucking nerd likes me back.Or, Ronan gets Adam a gift before he leaves for university.





	reds and blues remind me of you

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to everyone who read my previous work! I was excited to see so many of you liked it. hope you enjoy this one too! title from the poem "colors" by my bb connor franta.

"Roses are my favourite flowers,” Adam said. He turned to Ronan. “Actually, they remind me a lot of you. They’re prickly if you’re not careful, but they’re also really pretty and soft.”

Out loud, Ronan replied, “Parrish, that’s the fucking cheesiest thing you’ve ever said. Stop being so gross.”

To himself, Ronan thought,  _ I can’t believe this huge fucking nerd likes me back.  _

 

*

 

“So,” Ronan started, “since you’re leaving in a week, I wanted to get you something.”

“Ronan,” Adam sighed. They’d been through this argument so many times, and while Adam wasn’t as reluctant to accept gifts as he used to be, he still wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of Ronan spending a bunch of money on him. 

“I didn’t spend any money on it, I swear. I dreamt it,” Ronan replied. He knew Adam would protest any gift from him, which is why he spent so much time trying to decide what to get him. It had to be something that wasn’t expensive, because then Adam would never accept it, and it couldn’t be something like paying for Adam’s food or textbooks for school because then he’d view it as pity. 

Giving Adam gifts was a challenge, but it was Ronan’s favourite challenge. 

He also knew the best time to give Adam something was when his brain was functioning the least. Like now, when they were laying side by side in Ronan’s bed at the Barns after spending the afternoon listening to it rain outside while making out and cuddling under two blankets. 

“Just because you dreamt something expensive up for me and didn’t have to pay for it doesn’t make it less expensive,” Adam said. 

“But it wouldn’t have been that expensive if it was real. Just impossible.” Ronan turned on his side to face Adam and tucked a stray piece of hair behind his ear. “Please let me give you the gift. I’m not going to get to see you everyday soon and I wanted to get you something to remind you of me.”

“Ronan,” Adam repeated, this time softer and a little disbelieving. He seemed to have a hard time coming up with more words, but Ronan waited him out. Adam placed a hand on Ronan’s cheek and leaned in to kiss him. When he pulled back, he was smiling. “You’re so amazing, you know that? I’ll probably never be the kind of person who likes to get gifts all the time, and I know you hate that, but I hope you know how much I appreciate how thoughtful you are. Even though I don’t accept some of the things you try to give me, I still love you more and more each time you offer me something because I know you put a lot of thought into your gifts.”

“So does that mean you’ll let me give you this gift?” Ronan asked hopefully. 

“Fine,” Adam said, smiling again. Because really, he was so hopelessly gone on Ronan that it was taking less and less effort each time to convince him to accept Ronan’s gifts. 

“Okay, be right back,” Ronan said before leaving the room. Adam sat up in bed, blankets pooling around his waist, to wait for Ronan. When Ronan returned, his face was hidden behind a massive bouquet of pink roses. Ronan sat down on the bed beside Adam and handed him the roses, suddenly looking shy. 

“So I knew I wanted to get you something, but I had a hard time deciding what that something should be. But then Gansey wouldn’t stop going on and on about flowers for Blue and about their meanings and so I kind of got the idea from him. I, um, Gansey told me that eleven roses means you are the one I treasure most and pink roses mean gratitude and admiration. I know it’s silly but you had said roses reminded you of me and you were probably joking but I thought maybe you’d like to have roses in your dorm room? It’s probably going to be really boring looking and dark. I dreamt the roses so they’d never die, that way there will always be something of me there with you.”

“Oh my god, Ronan now who’s the cheesiest one ever?” Adam laughed, smiling so big because Ronan never failed to amaze him with how thoughtful he could be. The smell of the roses reminded him of Cabeswater and comforted him immediately. “I love them Ronan. Thank you.”

“Really?” Ronan asked, still shy. 

“Really,” Adam said. He leaned in and kissed Ronan once on the cheek, and then again on the lips. “I couldn’t think of anything I’d want more.”

 

*

 

Adam laid down in his new bed in his new dorm room for the first time. It felt strange to not have Ronan less than an arm's length away; they had slept together more often than not over the summer, Adam too obsessed with touching Ronan and being close to protest staying at the Barns instead of St. Agnes. Adam felt a little empty without Ronan to fill up the space beside him and around him and inside him. 

But when he looked across his tiny dorm room to see the roses sitting on top of his dresser in their new vase, he felt settled. Ronan was waiting for him back at the Barns, with Opal and Chainsaw, but here was a part of Ronan’s heart on display everyday for Adam. With thoughts of Ronan’s tattoo and roses and Ronan’s eyes in his mind, Adam drifted to sleep. 


End file.
